DIYbanter - View Single Post - Smoke detectors, Ionization vs Photoelectric

Frank[_24_]

On 11/30/2020 7:54 AM, wrote:
On Mon, 30 Nov 2020 07:39:52 -0500, Frank "frank wrote:

On 11/30/2020 5:20 AM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 11/29/20 10:07 PM, Sid 03 wrote:
Looking to install some new smoke detectors.Â* I was going to install
Ionization type smoke detectors in the lower floors and then a
combinationÂ* smoke and COÂ* detector on the 3rd floor where the
bedrooms are located.

I noticed that most of the combo detectors do not use ionization to
detect smoke, but use photoelectric type sensors.
Is this a a big deal or should I stick with the most popular
ionization type ?
Years ago I was told by a contractor to not install combo detectors,
but to keep the CO and Smoke detectors separate ?
Does anyone have an opinion on that ?

If the CO detector has an interconnection wire for other alarms,
should you connect it to the interconnection wire for the fire-Alarms ?
All this stuff is manufactured by Kidde, so I am assuming that is all
compatible ?

Thanks
Sid.

Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* This is what Consumer Reports has to say.Â* They haven't tested
them for a couple years.

Â*Â*Â*Â* This is as ofÂ* June 2018.

Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Consumer Reports wasn't satisfied with any combination
smoke and carbon monoxide detectors they tested then.

Â*Â* These are the dual sensor smoke alarms.
First AlertÂ* 3120BÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â *Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* $30Â*Â* Score 91
Kidde P12010Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* $30Â*Â* Score 91
First Alert SA320CNÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â *Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* $23Â*Â* Score 87
Kidde P19010Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* $25Â*Â* Score 87

Â* Ionization smoke alarms.
First Alert SA9120BCNÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â *Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* $25 Score 55
Kidde KN-COSM-1BÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* $35 Score 55Â*Â* Note 1
Kidde RF-SM-DCÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* $40 Score 53
First Alert SA303Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â *Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* $12 Score 51
First Alert SA304LCNÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* $24 Score 51

Photoelectric smoke alarms
First Alert 7010BÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â *Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* $25 Score 55
Nest ProtectÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â *Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â *Â*Â* $129 Score
55Â*Â*Â* Note 1,2
Nest ProtectÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â *Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â *Â*Â* $129 Score
55Â*Â*Â* Note 1,2
First AlertÂ* SA501CNÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â *Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* $60Â* Score 53 Note 2
First AlertÂ* SC051CNÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â *Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* $70Â* Score 53 Note
1,2

1 Combination smoke/carbon-monoxide alarm, also rated as CO alarm.
2 Interconnects wirelessly.

I knew that CO detectors had a finite lifetime, 7-10 years, and now note
that smoke detectors are recommended to be replaced by 10 years. Still
not sure a combo appeals to me since I got over 20 years out of two
smoke detectors before I replaced them.

I think the 10 year "lifetime" is a recommendation that will
provide acceptable reliability - beyond that, the device
may still be OK but the crucial reliability begins to decrease.
I'd be OK stretching it to 12 years, not 20.
John T.

Yes, from what I read now, that was a stretch. I recall my wife
accidentally testing the first floor unit on occasion with inadequate
stove ventilation. Also the finite battery lifetime gave a test that
they still worked by alerting us with beeps of impending battery failure.